Page 72 of Beach Vibes

“Is that what we’re calling it?” she asked, careful to keep her voice light. “I was thinking more of a natural and understandable concern. I don’t have a lot of kids in my life. It’s not like I’m the director of a daycare center. My main interactions these days are at the store, where I ask them if they want apple slices with their sandwich and point out the animal cracker selections.”

Hardly real encounters where conversation and play were expected. Although under other circumstances, Beth knew she would be perfectly fine. Maybe a little quiet or awkward, but nothing overly noteworthy. The problem was, these were Teddy’s kids, so the pressure was on. She wanted their relationship to work out, and that meant dealing with more than just the hunky guy who haunted her dreams. The children added a challenging element—one that terrified her.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked softly.

“Of course.”

“Why do I know that’s not true? Beth, you have nothing to be worried about. You’re amazing, and my kids are going to see that.” He paused. “I’d like you to meet them, but if it’s too soon for you, we’ll put it off a few more weeks.”

She felt a rush of gratitude, followed by a sense of indecision. On the one hand, she would prefer to wait. On the other hand, him wanting to introduce her to his children meant something.It was a sign that he was just as interested in her as she was in him. Plus Jana was ready for Linnie to meet Rick. Her friend had been right—having a big family barbecue would add a level of casualness to the event. Better that than something more formal like dinner out.

“Let’s see what Rick wants to do,” she said. “If he’s comfortable meeting Linnie, then I’ll meet your kids. It’ll be more natural that way.”

“You sure?”

No. A thousand times no. But instead of admitting that, she did her best to sound happy and confident as she said, “Of course. It’ll be great.”

They talked for a few more minutes, then hung up. When she’d tossed her phone on the bed, she went in search of her aunt. Agatha was in her small home studio, carefully fitting a bikini top on one of her mannequins. She smiled at Beth.

“I’m thinking of working with yak yarn. It’s going to be a thing, and I like to stay ahead of the trends. Do you—” Agatha studied her for a second. “Oh, dear. Something’s happened.”

Beth sank onto the love seat opposite the desk. “I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong. Not exactly. It’s just…” Ack, how to explain? Probably the simple truth would work best. “Teddy wants me to meet his kids. It’s only been a month, so it feels too soon, but things are moving fast and we’re both interested in each other, so is it too soon or am I reacting to the whole kid thing?”

Agatha nodded in understanding. “You’re concerned about being a stepmother. It would be a challenge.”

Beth nearly came out of her seat. “A what? Don’t say theSword. No. Teddy and I are barely dating. There’s no stepmother talk.”

She’d never thought of herself that way, probably because she’d never dated a guy with kids before. Stepmother. She couldn’t.

“I haven’t even met the kids. I’ve seen pictures, but I don’tknow anything about them.” Teddy had shared a few things, but it wasn’t like getting to know them.

“Nothing is going to happen today,” Agatha told her. “You don’t have to do anything or solve anything.”

True, Beth thought, trying to do as Jana had suggested earlier and breathe. Even if she was going to meet them, it wouldn’t be for a little while.

“I have a serious lack of kid experience,” she said. “I’ve never been around them. I didn’t babysit in middle school. Ian and I talked about having children, but neither of us seemed overly enthused. What if I’m not a kid person?”

Agatha smiled at her. “You have a very giving heart, my dear. That’s what matters most. As for the rest of it, you’ll learn as you go. That’s what I did with you and your brother.”

“I know you and Uncle Dale never wanted children, but you were totally there for us.” Beth remembered when her aunt had rescued Rick and her from their respective foster care situations. It had been about eighteen months after they’d lost their mom.

“Dale didn’t, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to push things. By the time I realized I felt an emptiness in my life, I was well into my thirties.” She smiled sadly. “He agreed we could try, but I never got pregnant. Eventually I accepted it would just be the two of us.”

Beth thought maybe Agatha had been her age when she’d realized she would never have children. Not that Beth was looking to be a single mother, but times had changed, and if she decided to have a baby, she still could.

“I was at a low point about the decision when I decided to reach out to your mother. We hadn’t spoken in at least five years.”

Beth knew about the family drama—how her mother had always been difficult—getting into trouble, running away, hanging out with the “bad” kids. She and Agatha had never beenclose, never gotten along, something Beth had trouble understanding. Agatha had such a warm, gentle, giving spirit.

“You found out she’d died,” Beth murmured.

Agatha nodded slowly. “I felt so terrible for not insisting we stay in touch. My guilt for what happened to you and Rick has haunted me for years.”

“We’ve talked about this,” Beth told her. “There was no way you could have known what happened.”

She and Rick never remembered meeting Agatha and her husband, although they must have at least a couple of times, and their mother had never talked about her sister, so when she’d died, neither of them had thought to mention a not-so-distant relative. Instead they’d been split up and sent to separate foster homes. Beth remembered how frantic she’d felt, knowing that Rick was alone. He’d always needed her to get through life. He was too smart, too quiet and awkward to navigate the world easily.

“Besides,” she added, smiling at her aunt. “The second you found out Mom had died, you rushed to find us.”

---